Living in Luxor - Desert Retreats: Kharga Oasis

Burnout? Stress? Fatigue? Sleep disturbances?
Don't wait before it's too late. Take your time out in the Egyptian desert well ahead of time. Just the silence and the vastness of the desert have balancing and healing effects. Find yourself in the loneliness of the dunes. Realise what's really important in your life. Get yourself into that which wants to grow in the silence of the desert when you allow yourself to create space therefor.

Don't worry about your creature comforts. We like to offer you a place in the midst of the gorgeous Western desert which provides best food and shelter with all accomodation you need:

 

 

The Desert Camp:

 
Desert Camp with view to the west onto the dunes

The Desert Camp is located in the Western Desert in the Kharga Oasis about 15 km south of Baris - far away from any other human habitation. It's surrounded by desert and dunes and has an amazing view onto the ruins of the roman fortress Qasr Dush:

Desert Camp with view onto Roman fortress Qasr Dush in the background

The luxury camp is under Swiss-Italian-Egyptian management and has 20 wood tents available. Each tent is equipped with two beds, a bathroom, a small private dressing room, and furnished with hand made furniture following the style of the Bedouins. Furthermore, each tent comes with its private deck. Everything from the service to the accommodation will be nature friendly. In the night electricity is switched off so that nothing breaks your sleep. The ideal place to relax and to regain your strength!

Desert Camp - Interior equipment of a tent

The camp has a cafeteria and a restaurant where breakfast, lunch and dinner are prepared and served. All the food is locally grown.

Desert Camp - Restaurant

Flora and Fauna:

      

The omnipresent flamboyant Green Bee-Eaters (Merops orientalis) form a vibrant contrast to the desert landscape.

   

Surroundings:

Kharga Oasis is located in the Western Desert and about 200 km away from Luxor. This oasis, which was known as the 'Southern Oasis' to the Ancient Egyptians is the largest of the oases in the Western Desert of Egypt and consists of a depression about 200 km long. The trade route, passing through Kharga in the south, was a long caravan route running north-south between Middle Egypt and the Sudan. It was used from as early as the Old Kingdom of Egypt for the transport and trade of gold, ivory, spices, wheat, animals and plants.

The oasis is part of New Valley Governorate. Its capital is Kharga City with an interesting archaeological museum. Another city called Baris is situated 86 km to the south of Kharga City.

The Roman Fortress and Temple Qasr Dush is situated to the south of the oasis about 95 km south of Kharga City and about 3 km south of Baris in sight of the Desert Camp. The temple lies in the eastern part of the fortress and is dedicated to Isis and Serapis ("Osiris has come"). Here, in 1989 archaeologists discovered the "Dush Treasure", a magnificent collection of golden artefacts, now showcased at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Fortress Qasr Dush                                  Isis and Serapis Temple at Dush

'Ain Manāwir is situated 5 km northwest of Qasr Dush. During excavations egyptologists found subterranean irrigation systems (Qanāts), an ancient settlement, and a small temple with numerous bronze statuettes of Osiris. The Qanāts originate from the Persian reign and were used from 5th century BC to 3rd century AD. Also 300 Ostraka (inscribed pieces of pottery) were found. They date back to the time from 445 to 390 BC and show concessions, loans and contracts.

'Ain Manāwir - Ancient settlement           'Ain Manāwir - Qanāts

The village of New Baris (Bārīs al-Gadīda) is located 8 km north of Baris City. The never finished and to this day uninhabitated settlement was one of the most ambitious projects of the famous Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy.

Market Halls in New Baris

After sightseeing you will certainly love to return to the seclusion of the Desert Camp, to the dunes and to the unforgettable sunsets:

Dunes in Kharga

Dramatic sunset in Kharga

Our Service in Luxor:

We will pick you up at the airport and take you if needed to your hotel on the west bank of Luxor. There you will spend one night. The next morning we will start on our journey to the Western Desert with a normal car or minibus. In the camp you may rent a off-road vehicle with driver for trips to the dunes.

For your stay in the Desert Camp we make you a favourable offer optionally with half board or full board. Kindly let us know your wishes.

The Desert Camp is equipped with an internet connection but you can take it from us - you will make a better recovery when you leave it at home and if possible switch off your mobile, too. Put your feet in the warm sand and listen instead to the desert wind...!

Subsequent to your retreat, we will bring you back to Luxor.

In the background you see the white tents of Desert Camp - and far and wide  nothing but rocks, dunes and ruins ancient...

Do you run workshops or desert retreats and are you interested to rent Desert Camp for your group? The 20 tents of the camp accomodate maximally 40 persons. With pleasure we organize your stay.

Geographical Position:

Kharga (A) and environs, © Google

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